The Brains Trust

Susan Carland

Susan completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science at university, as she had no idea what she wanted to do when she finished school and thought that adequately general while she decided.

Ten years on, she’s still at uni (“mostly through inertia”), and no less certain of what she wants to be when she grows up. She is currently completing a PhD in Sociology, and is also a lecturer in politics, gender studies and sociology at Monash University. She hopes to be the youngest lecturer to adopt leather elbow patches.

In 2004, she was awarded the Australian Muslim of the Year (sadly, no crown or sash awarded with the title), and in 2009 was named a Muslim Leader of Tomorrow by the American-based ASMA society in collaboration with the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations. Again, no sash. “But there was a lovely keyring with a light!”

Susan is a founder and presenter on SBS’s critically acclaimed Salam Café: a comedy-panel series looking at the funny side of life as an Australian Muslim.